Carpet-stretcher



(No Model.)

S. TABOR 8v J'. MURPHY.

CARPET STRBTGHBR.

N. 489,769. Patented Jan. 10,1893;

Unirse Srarns .maar rtree,

STEPHEN 'IABOR AND JEREMIAI-I MURPHY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARPET-STRETCHEFL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,769, dated J' anuary 10, 1893.

Application led May 13, 1892.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN TABOR and JEREMIAH MURPHY, residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Stretchers, of which the following, when taken in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof, is a full and complete description, sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same.

The object of our invention is to construct a carpet stretcher, which can be anchored to the door to which the carpet is to be attached, and over which it is to be stretched by our device, and by which the carpet can be drawn into the desired position much easier than can be done by any carpet stretcher heretofore used.

A further purpose of ourinvention is to obtain acarpet stretcher which can beanchored in front of the carpet to be stretched thereby, without trouble, and one which can, when preferred, be anchored or maintained in its position by a brace extending from the rear end of the carpet stretcher, over the carpet being stretched thereby, to a support, as the wall of the room, back of the carpet stretcher, and beyond the carpet being stretched.

A still further object of our invention is to obtain a carpet stretcher whereof the teeth or gripping mechanism engaging with the carpet shall not extend through the same into the floor over which the carpet is being stretched; and a carpet stretcher by which such gripping mechanism can be readily retracted from its forward position, when desired, but will be maintained lirmly in a forward position when the device is in use.

The several mechanisms by which we obtain the above named results are fully illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof in which Figurel isa plan view of our carpet stretcher the operating lever shown in section; and Fig. 2, is a vertical sectional view on the central line longitudinally thereof.

The same letter of reference is used to indicate a given part where more than one View thereof is shown in the several figures of the drawings.

A, is the base of the device consisting of Serial No. 4321871. (No model.)

the bottom a, sides a', a', and end a2; and A is an anchor consisting of hammer A2 and arms A3, A3, pivoted in the sides a of base A, at the forward end of the base A. The arms A3, A3, may be constructed of spring metal, if desired, so that the anchor A can be readily removed from the base A.

In order to secure the base A in a given position, when the device is in use, the hammer A2 may be slightly driven into the door, thus anchoring such base in front of the carpet upon which it is placed, and which is to be stretched by the device, or if preferred, a board, as A4, may vextend from the end a2 of 65 the base A to any suitable support in rear of such device. The sides a, a', of base A are Y extended about midway of such base A to form the projecting lugs or ears a3, a3, and between these projecting ears a3 is pivoted the lever B on pivot b. At the lower end of the lever B is the dog B pivoted to such lever B, on pin ZJ.

On the base A between the sides thereof there is placed the toothed rack D having thereon teeth CZ. These teeth d are suitably placed so that the free end'of the dog B will engage therewith, in the ordinary way, and hence by vibration of the lever B on pivot b, such rack D will be intermittently moved forward by the dog B. In order to hold the rack in the forward position into which it is forced by the lever B and dog B', as described, dog E is pivoted between the sides a', a', on pivot e, so that the forward end e of such dog E will ordinarily intermesh with the teeth d.

e2, is an extension of the dog E. In the operation of the device dog or pawl E acts as an ordinary gravity retaining pawl. When the lever B is brought downward into the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, such lever comes in contact with the extension e2k of dog E, and such dog is brought into substantially the position indicated bythe dotted lines thereof, and the end e of such dog is thereby retracted from engagement with the teeth d of the rack D. This depression of the lever B to the position shown in dotted lines is a final movement preparatory to moving the device from the part of the carpet just stretched and secured in the operation of the IOO device, and hence for convenience in the use of the device; and the dog B is brought out of engagement with such teeth d by such lever B, so that the rack D can be retracted from its extended position. The rack D extends forward of the base A having at the forward end thereof the lateral bar F, and on this lateral bar are placed the curved pointed teeth f, f, f. It will be observed that the under side of the bar F is beveled, so that the forward edge F thereof, is in about the same plane as the lower surface of the base A, and that the teeth f, f,f, extend a slight distance below such edge F', and not sufficiently below such edge to exceed the ordinary thickness of a carpet. The purpose of such construction is to prevent the teeth f, f, engaging with the floor underneath the carpet, which is being stretched by the device.

The operation of the device is extremely simple, and may be described as follows: The carpet having been laid and properly tacked on one or more of the sides or ends thereof, the carpet stretcher is secured in position by the anchor A or by the board A4, the rack D being in its retracted condition, and the teeth fbeing secured in the carpet near the edge thereof. The handle B is then raised into about the position illustrated in Fig. 2, and the uper end thereof swayed gently to produce movement in the dog B. The rack D is thereby forced forward and is maintained in its forward position by the dog E, such rack D and bar F carrying forward therewith the carpet. stretched it is secured in position in any suitable or ordinary way, and the carpet stretcher moved along to a new position on the carpet, while the operation is repeated, until the entire carpet is properly laid.

Where, as is sometimes the case, the carpet is to be attached in position on the floor without tacks or nails the anchor A cannot be used, and in such case the board A4 is used to anchor the device. It is evident that the board A"L or anchor A may consist of more than one piece suitably secured together as with pins.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a carpet stretcher, the combination of a base, a rack sliding on the base, a lateral bar at the forward end of such rack, the under side of such lateral bar being inclined forward, so that the forward edge thereof is substantially in the plane of the bottom of When the carpet is sufficiently.

the base, curved teeth extending downward and backward from the rear of such bar and adapted to grasp a carpet as such bar is moved forward, a lever pivoted above the rack to the base and a dog in such lever, the forward end of such' dog engaging with the teeth in the rack when the lever is raised from a horizontal position, a second dog pivoted in the base back of the pivotal point of the lever, such second dog being adapted to engage at one end with the teeth in the rack, and at the other end with the pivoted lever when such lever is brought into a substantially horizontal position, and both dogs thereby freed from engagement with the teeth of the rack; substantially as described.

2. In a carpet stretcher, the combination of a base, an anchor extending outward and forward from the base, a rack sliding on the base, a lateral bar at the forward end of such rack, the under side of such lateral bar being inclined forward, so that the forward edge thereof is substantially in the plane of the bottom Of the base, curved teeth extending downward and forward from the rear of such bar and adapted to grasp a carpet as such bar is moved forward, alever pivoted above the rack to the base and a dog in such lever, the forward end of such dog engaging with the teeth in the rack when the lever is raised from a horizontal position, a second dog pivoted in the base back of the pivotal point of the lever, such second dog being adapted vto engage at one end with vthe teeth in the rack, and at the other end with the pivoted lever when such lever is brought into a substantially horizontal position, and both dogs thereby freed from engagement with the teeth of the rack; substantially as described.

3. In a carpet stretcher a comb consisting of a lateral bar rigidly secured at the forward end of a rack bar, with curved teeth extending downward and forward from the rear of the lateral bar tO about the plane ofthe front edge thereof, such front edge being Iforward of the points of the curved teeth, with the under side of such lateral bar inclined forward so as to leave sufficient space between the points of the teeth, at such points, and the lateral bar, to engage with la carpet, substantially as described.

STEPHEN TABOR. J EREMIAH MURPHY. W'itnesses:

CHARLES TURNER BROWN, FLORA L. BROWN.

ICO

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